7 Things I wish I had heard from the VP debate

After watching and live tweeting last nights debate (what I saw of it, I had to break to read some bedtime books to my daughter), here are my thoughts. They started as 10, then my computer crashed. Consider it a gift I rewrote them. I used these 12 Scriptures as my lens of interpretation, for the most part.

Mr Biden, your administration has killed dozens of innocent civilians in Pakistan through illegal drone warfare. Seemingly justifying it militarily. How can you justify that politically, strategically religiously? You are aware it has no basis in Catholic Just War Theory, correct?

Mr Ryan, do you believe in science? Climate change, sexual orientation, social scientific definitions of racism and poverty all seem to be things that you scoff at. And yet the scientific community stands strongly behind. Do you believe in science?

We haven’t heard much talk about poverty and the poor from either of you. Do you think that you are both committed to the same goals when it comes to poverty reduction? You obviously have drastically different ideas regarding welfare and a social safety net. But are you each trying to accomplish the same goal, using different strategies? Is that fair to say? Or do you think there is a fundamentally different goal in mind? Mr Ryan, you in particular are under much duress to defend your plan from folks who espouse Catholic Social Teaching and similar faith-based perspectives on poverty reduction. How do you respond?

We continue to live in a highly racialized society, despite claims to being a post-racial, color-blind America. If the Supreme Court, in hearing the case Fisher V University of Texas, upholds Affirmative Action is that progress towards justice and the common good or an obvious case of reverse racism?

What does Freedom of Religion mean to you each? You each invoked it in your answers to the question regarding abortion. Mr Ryan claiming it for himself yet ultimately denying it for those who disagree. And Mr Biden as a way of separating his own personal morality (he stated he was anti-abortion) from the need to impose that on others. If I disagree with you because of my religion, will you force me to comply with your behavior?

The Obama administration has been labeled soft on immigration. The statistics don’t in any way back this up. He has deported more than Bush did in 8 years, for instance. Why has this narrative been allowed to proceed? It seems to be a lie, Mr Ryan, why have you allowed it to persist? And why do you both continue to use dehumanizing language regarding immigration, with such terms as “illegal” and “alien” being used? Will you commit to stop using the “I” word?

America’s empire has never been wider or broader or stronger, despite your comments Mr Ryan that our Navy is too small. Does your faith give you any pause that our country is so militaristic? Mr Biden, I was surprised when you mentioned that our only “sacred” duty as a country is in protecting those we’ve trained to kill. How can this be so? In all ways save military, Mr Ryan your plan is to slash our budget. Why continue to blindly support the military-industrial complex?

The war on drugs has caused such massive amounts of suffering and pain. Mexico has seen over 60,000 murders alone in the last years, fighting a war that is our war to fight. We’ve incarcerated millions of nonviolent offenders, creating a perpetual class of the disenfranchised. We all know it’s a failed policy that needs to end. And yet, the prison industrial complex provides millions of jobs, and billions of dollars of income. You’d be a fool to campaign on the idea of laying off the hundreds of thousands of unneeded prison workers though. When such values are in tension, what do you do? How do we bring an end to such a bad and violent policy when you so strongly value business and job creation?

My ambivalence to our two party system and to our choices this fall is only growing. I have areas of strong disagreement with both sides, and areas of soft agreement as well. Neither candidate is “my” guy, and I grow increasingly frustrated with Christians on both sides who have baptized their candidate as the next “savior” of us all. It’s just not so. Neither will either side likely bring about the apocalypse.

I do of course have my opinions, and my reasons for them. But ultimately, my primary allegiance being to Jesus and God’s kingdom, I will find it hard to vote for either candidate. Though as of today I will do so. Hope this helps.

You might also like my other posts on Election Year 2012 to help you process your own decision.